Cigarette dispensing and lighting case



Feb. 17. 1925. 1,526,564

w. H. PRATI-IER CIGARETTE DISPENSING AND LIGHTING CASE Filed June 19. 1924 'I L i i 'a l im d' HIS .ATTORE/EX melted 'm51 7; 192s.

WILLIS H. FEATHER, OF UKIAH, CALIFORNIA. v CIGARETTE DISPENSING AND LIGHTING CASE.

l Application ill-ed .Tune 18,

j To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIS I-I. PRATHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Ukiah, in the county of Mendocino and State of California, have 1nvented a new and useful Improvement 1n a Cigarette Dispensing and Lighting Case,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cigarette dispensing devices and the like wherein provision is made for lautomatically lighting a cigarette when moved to dispensing position.

The primary object of my invention 1s to provide an improved case for dispensing and lighting cigarettes.

Another object is `to provide means for automatically lighting cigarettes when i moved to a dispensing position from a container. v

A further object is to provide means for producing a current of air to convey heat from an ignitin means'into the end of a cigarette to facilitate the lighting of said cigarette.

Another object is to provide an improved device of the character described wherein the movement of a dispensing element to dispensing position operates to venergize an igniting element and to operate a draft roducing means for lighting a cigarette dispensed.

A further object is to provide improved means for holding the end of a dispensed cigarette in engagement with an igniting -element to insure the lighting of the cigarette. A

A still further object `is to provide an improved device of the character described which is particularly adapted for mounting upon automobiles to permit drivers to olo-R tain a lighted cigarette without materially diverting his attention from driving.

A still :further object is to provide an improved device of compact arrangement an of neat and attractive appearance and which will afford a convenient and efficient means for dispensing and lighting cigarettes. I accomplish these and other objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present speciicat-ion wherein like characters 'of reference 1924. Serial No. 721,102.

are used to designate similar parts throughout said specification and drawings and in whichy vFig. 1 is a Vertical cross section of my improved. cigarette dispensing n and lighting case.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a right side elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical cross section of the lower portion of the case showing the dispensing elements moved to dispensing position.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the draft producing means showing the manner in which the plunger is yieldingly actuated.

Referring to the drawings the numeral l is used to designate in general a suitable container adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes 2, said container being provided witha hinged cover 3 which normally closes the top of the container and which may 'be opened whenl desired to admit a fresh supply of cigarettes. The front and back of the container are curved inwardly at the extensions 1 1 of the -sides .of the" container.

One end of l the shaft extends outwardly past the side of the container and is provided with an actuating lever 13. A spring 14 is'd mounted in'connection with the lever 13 to normally move the' lever to an upright position-substantially parallel to the side of the container 1 the dispensing element 6 being moved to a normal cigarette receiving position against a stop 16 with the recess 8 positioned immediately below the slot 4 so that a single cigarette will drop throughthe slot 4j into the recess 8. The convex surface 7 of the dispensing element closes the slot 4 when the dispensing element spiral resistance adapted to receive electrical connectionsv 19 and 21l connected to opposite terminals of a battery or other suitable source of electrical energy, whereby the ignitng element maybe heated when an electrical current is\caused to fiow there.- through. The element 17 is positioned d1- rectly opposite the adjacent end of the recess 8 when the dispensing element is moved to dispensing position as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, so that a' cigarette held in the recess 8 will be in axial alignment with the igniting element 17. The electrical circuit tov the igniting element 17 is normally broken between a pair of contacts 22 mounted in insulated relation upon one of the side extensions 11, said-contacts being adapted to be engaged by a contact member 23 mounted in insulated relation upon the dispensing member 6 and arranged to bridge-the contacts 22 when the dispensing member is moved to d ispensing position thereby completing the clrcuit through the igniting element.

A spring 24 is mounted adjacent the end of the dispensing element 6 opposite the igniting element 17 said spring being provided with an offset portion 26 adapted to enter the adjacent end of the recess 8 when the dispensing member is moved to the dispensing position. The offset portion 26 enters the adjacent end of the cigarette 2 carried in the recess and moves said cigarette longitudinally Within the recess to force the opposite end of the cigarettev against the igniting element 17. The offset portion 26 also engagesthe end of the recess 8 in such a manner as to maintain the dispensing element in dispensing'position whereby the cigarette may be held against theigniting element for a desired llength of time, an outwardly extending portion 27 being provided upon the outer end of the spring whereby the spring may be manuallyfymoved to release the dispensing element and permit its return vto normal position when the cigarette has been lighted.

In order to more quickly and more effectively light the end of the cigarette I have provided means Lfor producing a draft adapted to convey h'eat from the igniting element 17 into the end of the cigarette. This .draft producing element consists of a cylinder 31v mounted upon the end of the container 1 adjacent the lever 13, said cylinder being provided with a discharge passage r32 connected' into the cylinder and openi-n at a point immediately adjacent to 'the 'igniting element 1 and preferably in .the relatively slow escape of air.

axial alignment therewith. A plunger 33 is Jslidably mounted within the cylinder, said plunger being provided with an elongated stem 34 slidably engaged by an actuating member 36 pivotally connected to an arm 37 formed upon the actuating lever 13. A spring 38 is mounted upon the stem 34 between the plunger 33 and the actuating member 36 whereby a yieldable presi sure is applied upon the plunger when the actuating member is advanced into the cylinder. The inner end 39 of the actuating member 36 is adapted to permit a slight pivotal movement of the member within the cylinder, and the member is bifurcated to permit a movement of the stem 34 through said inner end whereby the actuating member may be advanced to 4compress the spring independently ofthe movement of the plunger 33. The discharge passage 32 is connected into .the upperend of the cylinder 31 to permit the escape of air compressed within the cylinder when the plunger is advanced thereinto. and an aperture 42 is formed inthe end of the cylinder and provided with a suitable valve 43 adapted to admit air into the cylinder during the return stroke of the plunger.

In operation a plurality of cigarettes are placed in the container 1. When it is desired to obtain a cigarette the lever 13 is moved to turn the dispensing element 6 from the normal position shown in Fig. l` to the dispensing position shown in Fig. 2 thereby moving the lowermost cigarette from the container to the dispensing position. As t-he dispensing member is moved past the spring 24 the ollset portion thereof will enter the adjacent end of the recess 8 thereby forcing the'cigarette against the igniting element and holding the member in dispensing position; At the same time 'the contact member 23 'is moved into`engagement with the contacts 22, thereby coinpleting a circuit therethrough and causing the igniting element to be heated. Simultaneously with the movement of the cigarette to dispensing position and the energizing of the igniting element, the plunger 33 willbe advanced to compress air within the cylinder, said air escaping in a jet from the discharge passage 32 past the igniting element and onto the end of the cigarette thereby causing a draft of air which operates to convey heat from the igniting'element into theend of the cigarette and thereby greatly facilitate the lighting of the end of the cigarette. The passage 32 is made small so as to insure When the actuating member 36 is moved to advance the plunger 33, the pressure imparted will cause the spring to be compressed an amount suiiicient to balance to pressure imparted to the air. After the actuating vcausing a continuedA jet to be directed upon the igniting element and the cigarette. In this manner the draft' produced will be of j sufficient duration to insure the lighting of the cigarette. j

The cigarette 2 is now removed 'from the "dispensingelement in a lighted condition ready4 for use.

To facilitate the removal yof they cigarette from the dispensing element 6, recesses 44 are formed adjacent the sides of the recess 8 whereby the fingers may be inserted to grasp the'cigarette. The out-- wardly extending end of the spring 24 vec thenmoved manuallyto release the dispensing element which is automatically returned to normal position by means of the spring 14, the return movement of the dispensing Y element causing the. electrical connections to the igniting element to be broken between the contacts 2,2 and the plunger 33'returned to starting position. When the dispensing element reachesthe normal position a cigarette 2 will immediately drop into the recess 8 ready vfor the succeeding operation.

The device above described may be mounted in any convenientjposition accessible to a user, and is particularlyvaluable to drivers of automobiles for whose use the case is particularly adapted.v In this connection the case is mounted in any convenient manner upon the dash of an automobile and the electrical connections lmade to the battery of the automobile. When the driver desires a cigarette he has only to depress the leverl 13, this single operation causing a single cigarette to be dispensed and lighted without materially diverting the attention of the driver from driving and without the usual inconvenience and delay of procuring and lighting a ciga-' rette or endangering life and property by attempting to light a cigarette while the automobile is in motion.

As a further convenience the lower portion of the case is provided with a trayadapted to receive ashes and the burned stubs of'cigarettes. The tray is formed by suitable bottom and back portions 46 and 47 connected between the lower ends ofthe side extensions 11. A front member 48 is hingedly mounted to normally close the front of the tray and arranged to be swung outwardly whereby refuse may be readily cleaned from the tray when desired.

While I have shown and described the structure which I now deem to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, the invention is not restricted to the particular structure shown and I desire to avail myself of all modifications in either form or arrangement that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

`moved to dispensing position; a cylinder mounted adjacent the dispensing element/4 and having a discharge passage openingr adjacent .theigniting element; and means mounted within the cylinder and actuated in common -with the dispensing element for compressing air within the cylinder to force a jet of the compressed air past the igniting element to convey heat from said igniting element into the cigarette for lighting the. same when moved to dispensing position.

2. A cigarette dispensing and lighting case comprising a cigarette container adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes; a normally inactive igniting element; a dispensing element pivotally mounted in connection with the container `and adapted to be moved to carry cigarettes singly from thecontainer to a dispensing position with one end of the cigarette in engagement with the igniting element; and means `associated with the dispensing element and the igniting elementfor energizing the ignitingl element when vthe dispensing element is moved to the dispensing position; a cylinder mounted adjacent the container and having a discharge passage opening adjacent the igniting element; and means mounted within the cylinder and actuated in common with the dispensing element for compressing air within the cylinder when the dispensing element is moved to dispensing position and directing a jet ofsaid air through the orifice against the igniting element and the adjacent end of thel cigarette. A-

3. A cigarette dispensing and lighting case comprising a cigarette container adapted to receive v a plurality of cigarettes; a normally inactive igniting element; a dispensing element pivotally mounted in connection with the container and adapted to be moved to carry cigarettes singly Jfrom the container to a dispensing position with one end of the cigarette in engagement with the igniting element; and means associated with the dispensing element and the igniting element for energizing the igniting element when the dispensing elementl is moved to the dispensing position; a cylinder mounted adjacent the container and having a vdischarge passage-opening adjacent the igniting element; a plunger mounted within the cylinder; and means connecting the plunger with v the dispensing element for moving said cigarette;

' plunger to compress air within the cylinder 4. A cigarette dispensing and lighting case comprising a container adapted to' receive 'a plurality loi cigarettes; a dispens- IIB ing element pivotally mounted in connection with the container and provided with a longitudinal' recess adapted to receive a single cigarette from the container; a normally inactive igniting element mount-- ed adjacent one end of the dispensing element; a spring mounted adjacent the 0pposite end of the dispensing element. said spring being adapted to engage the adjacent end of the cigarette and move said cigarette longitudinally within the recess to force the opposite end against the igniting element, said spring moving into 'engagement' with the recess to hold the dispensing element in dispensing position; means controlled by the movement of the dispensing element for energizing the igniting element; and draft' producing means actuated by the movementv ot' the dispensing element for directing a draft upon" the igniting element fand the adjacent end of the cigarette.

5. A. cigarette dispensing and lighting case comprising a contalner; an igniting element mounted adjacent the container; dispensing means for moving cigarettes singly from the container into engagement with the igniting means; and draft producing means or directing a .draft upon the igniting 'element and the adjacent endci: a cigarette, said means comprising a cylinder ,mounted adjacent the container andhaving a discharge passage opening adjacentv the-igniting element; a plun er slidably mounted within thev cylinder; an means yieldably connected between theplunger and the dispensing element `for moving the J,plunger to compress air within the cylinder and force a `jet of said air against t eiigniting element and the end of the cigarette.

signature.

In wltness whereof I hereunto set my WILL-Is nrnA'rHER. 

